Julia Hall (B.A. ’81, ’87) Gift Creates UCLA Anderson Fellowship

Julia Hall (B.A. ’81, ’87) is an enthusiastic “double Bruin.” A La Habra native who worked at Disneyland while in college, Hall comes from a UCLA family: Her father and younger sister went there, as did her uncle and a few cousins, and she proudly reps her alma mater in her adopted hometown of Oklahoma City, never hesitating to fly the blue-and-gold flag.

“Oh, I’ve got the license plate holders on my car,” says Hall. “I have my water bottles when I go work out. I’ve got baseball caps. Everyone here knows I went to UCLA, and I still go on football trips with my undergraduate sorority sisters.”

Hall plans to return home to Southern California later this spring to attend her 35th UCLA Anderson reunion. Her dedication to UCLA remains vital, as she recently made two generous gifts to the school.

One is an endowed Anderson fellowship for full-time MBA students; the gift was eligible for a one-to-one match through the Anderson Leadership Giving Challenge, made possible by the Anderson family. The second is a charitable remainder unitrust , a type of planned gift totaling over $6 million to UCLA, half of which was pledged to Hall’s Anderson fellowship and the Dean’s Fund.

Today, Hall spends much of her time traveling the world and immersing herself in philanthropic causes in Oklahoma City. She recently sat down to discuss her UCLA experience and the importance of giving back.

Q: Please tell us a bit about your days at UCLA.

In my family, we all graduated from high school and were expected to just go straight to college. I graduated and went to work, but when I decided to go back for graduate school, it was my decision, and I paid for it myself.

I actually had a work-study grant, and I took out a loan and paid my way through business school. I really enjoyed the experience because, as I said, I wanted to do it, and I feel like I worked a little harder, paid a bit more attention and got a lot more out of it.

I went into finance for a while, and then I got married and moved to Oklahoma City.

Q: What motivates you to give back to UCLA?

I've been on UCLA’s radar for a while, and they've been contacting me. I’ve met with them for undergraduate-related gifts; I set up a scholarship for undergraduates. That one was a pledge payment; it's almost done. And then they asked me, “What else you do you think you might want to do?” And I said, “I’d like to do a scholarship for the business school too.” And they're called fellowships, I found out.

Similar to my undergraduate gift, the school had a matching opportunity, and I’m a sucker for a good match.

It all happened last fall, and the development team said that it will count toward the reunion gift for your class year, and I thought that was great.

Q: What keeps you busy in Oklahoma City?

I was a financial analyst for high-yield bonds after getting my MBA, and that didn’t really translate to Oklahoma City, so I've been very involved here for the past 30 years in many nonprofits. I’ve gotten on boards, and because of my background with an MBA, I’m always doing finance, and I’m always setting up investment plans. The UCLA Foundation was a little shocked when they told me they were going to take 6.5% off my gift for operating expenses and I said, “Yeah, I know. You have to do that to fund the operation of the Foundation.”

I just really understand philanthropy because I’ve been very involved in it for three decades now.

Q: Are there any specific causes that are close to your heart?

I’m an animal lover, and I have been very involved with the Oklahoma City Zoo. I was chairman of the board there. I was appointed by our mayor to the Zoo Trust. I’m a founding member of our Oklahoma Humane Society and have been the chairman of that board too.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is another organization that I am currently involved with. I love film, and we have a good film program. Actually, I will be chairman of that board starting next year.

I have moved to the leadership ranks of most boards that I've been on, which also includes deadCenter Film, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation and the Westminster School Board.

Q: Why do you love to travel, and where do you love to go?

I like to go just about anywhere. Just put me on a plane and I’m happy.

Travel photos courtesy of Julia Hall

I just was down in Chile. I was hiking in Torres del Paine and Patagonia. It was wonderful. Pristine. I mean, no one’s been there in the last two years because of COVID.

Q: What’s your message for fellow graduates who are considering giving back to Anderson?

One reason I really want to do this is, I think it’s important to give back and to provide opportunities for others. Because I have benefited so much from my education at UCLA, I want to make sure that it’s available for other people.

I just love the idea of a fellowship. The money’s there. They give it out, and this will continue in perpetuity to help students enter Anderson. Now it's so much more expensive than when I was there. Anything I can do to help someone else that needs that leg up so they can afford to go to Anderson, I want to do it.

Julia Hall (B.A. ’81, ’87) Gift Creates UCLA Anderson Fellowship

Alumna’s Gift Creates UCLA Anderson Fellowship